Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1887-04-08


hot in summer and bleak and cheer
! less in winter, Coming into tina
rude, comfortless clcister with hi;
frail body already broken down by 6
long college course, in which ht
boarded himself that he might make
no debts, the wonder is that he sur
vived But he did There is some
thing in log cabin in new country
that is an elixir of health. A mar
can live and grow fat there, whom to
put on dainty diet in a mansion il
would be sure to kill And not only
did be live, but be fi5urished.
The German church of the town
called for English services, and he
had come in answer to the call. He
was Ia close companion. brother and
friend to the Rev Bishop Schweitzer,
barth, of blessed memory And on a
footing of perfect equality with the
German Lutheran church in doctrine
and practice, the English Lutheran
church of the town was organized by
him on the 10th of January, 1913.
The preliminary meetings Ito this
event were held in the front room
of the building-which served as the
living room of the family There also
the Church Council held its meetings
for some time afterwards, until little
chapel was erected by the congrega-
tion.
But another event of more general
interest is connected with this old Jail
cabin. This was a conference of u
few Lutheran ministers residing in
Western Pennsylvania in the autumn
of 1874, who met in this front room.
The number with Rev. Mr.. Bassler
was but FIVE or six and the object of
the meeting was to consult in what
way the best interests of the Church
could be advanced, either by uniting
with some existing Synod or organic
ing a new one Much of the time
was spent in prayer to God for the
guidance of the Holy Spirit, and as a
result the conviction was strengthen
ed that for effective Church work a
Synod was indispensably necessary
which would especially look after the
interests of our scattered people and
vacant churches in the western coun-
ties of the State. OF the ministers
who attended this preliminary con-
ference only one survives-the editor
of the. Workman. The minutes of
this little informal meeting are happi-
ly preserved and were printed with
those of tie convention in Pittsburg
in the winter of lS45, and the first
convention in Shippenville in June Of
the same year.
Looking back to the humble begin
ming in that old log cabin, now in
ruins before me, | cannot but think of
the growth of the Synod which had
so humble an origin, and of the work
which is yet before it, Its statistics
are "a ministers, 80 pastoral charges,
lS5 congregations, 1888 communi-
cants, and contributions Tin 1850 to
different charities amounting to $751;
900. A college likewise has grown
up within it's bounds. and from the
same territory has gone forth Chris
tian successful efforts to form other
Synods, and merciful influences which
have resulted in the establishment of
homes for the fatherless aud hospitals
for the suffering in distant places Of
our land. Far be it from US to refer
to this in the way of boasting, for the
blessing of God has crowned the work
of his servants with success. But
when we look back little over forty
years and see how all this has grown
up in the line of natural sequence from
that preliminary meeting in the front
room of that old log,jail, we are filed
with gratitude to God, whose ways
are wonderful and past finding out.
Brethren and dear readers, we of
the present day are standing very
near the beginnings of the history of
our country. The old primitive log
buildings still are standing metaphor
ically as well as literally, ahd We
must remember when we see them
that much land is yet before US to be
possessed. We must know of GER
tainty that there are forests to cut
down. stones to dig out, swamps to
drain, and hard work to do now, and
in the future as in the past, in the
fields of the Church here in America,
and be ready, to enter like the fathers
did in hope, and faith, aud courage to
do the work And cursed be the idler
and dawdler and the drone who under
such circumstances will consume the
substance of the Church so bitterly
needed in so many places.
But what a rate this goes and
grows at. The old house is gone.
Farewell, farewell. Alas, too soon
we shall have to bid farewell to those
who have rendered it's very logs and
sticks sacred by their holy endeavors.
RUtIer PA